


The Cat, the Carrot, and the Pea

by Fangirlinit



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, crack fic?, halloween fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-15 23:56:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21261713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirlinit/pseuds/Fangirlinit
Summary: Alex and Astra spend Halloween together under unexpected circumstances that end up being quite rewarding.





	The Cat, the Carrot, and the Pea

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place in the same universe as “I Saw Mommy Kissing Astra,” only several years earlier. Think of this as a prequel of sorts.

Bodies filed out of the room like the walking dead. The meeting was a complete snoozer. Led by President Marsdin’s ambassador to the DEO, a series of policies had been presented in long, drawn out fashion only to be cut short by Director Henshaw.

“We all recognize and appreciate the President’s concern for the welfare of this department. Her _proposal_ will be taken into consideration.”

It had been some time since anyone willingly stood toe-to-toe with the director. The ambassador may not be Cat Grant but she had her spine (figuratively and literally: she stood so tall Alex had to wonder how she climbed stairways in those heels).

The ambassador didn’t seem to like the emphasis made on “proposal.” She came there fully prepared to crack down on workplace hazards – one of which included the casual interactions between staff and management, something that had become so ingrained at Desert Base that it came as an insult to those who had grown so close as to call one another family.

The ambassador’s cheeks grew red and her eyes tightened to knife points. She had the eyes of a Kryptonian avenging a relative’s broken nail. When J’onn held his ground, the ambassador left in a blustering huff. He rolled his eyes and shook his head as if a rookie had grazed his skin with a training knife. Nothing rattled him. Not unless tall, sharp-tongued women caused his heart to race. Astra had confirmed it with a raise of her brow.

Hm… interesting. Interesting because Alex had been getting some strange vibes between them. Ever since the ambassador verbally bludgeoned her way through five security checkpoints, unannounced and flashing those holier than thou incisors at Director Henshaw, he always (see: _always_) upped the ante with an unveiled criticism of the Feds “horning in where they shouldn’t.”

There was no way J’onn kept it up to humor the base. Their meet cutes made staff nervous, so if he thought transparency appeased the children, he was dead wrong. In fact, the longer they argued in professional speak, the more President Marsdin “sent” her ambassador to “straighten out” Desert Base.

There had to be an ulterior motive. J’onn wouldn’t allow a White House spy to intervene in his operations unless he had a reason. Was it about keeping the enemy close? Or sleeping with the enemy to gain valuable information in turning the tables? … Or whatever people do in spy novels.

Alex had shared her theory with her colleagues (the inherently discreet ones) and received mixed results. Lucy gave that slow nod of approval à la Joey Tribbiani. “Give me that enemies-to-lovers stuff,” she’d say. “I need it.” Alex had shuddered, thinking “lovers” went too far.

Astra couldn’t see it. She’d stare, cock her head, and narrow her eyes, and when no lightning bolt of recognition struck, she’d give Alex that concerned _Are you okay?_ look. Perhaps Astra wasn’t the right person to discuss relationship social patterns with. She couldn’t notice flattery if it knocked her off her feet in a sweep kick.

Kara just _wouldn’t_ see it. J’onn was like a dad to the Danvers sisters and she stubbornly couldn’t envision him in any other role. Alex felt the same, but the idea of J’onn finding a partner to share his down time with didn’t repulse her as violently.

One for three. At least she had the lawyer on her side. Who would have thought Lucy a romantic? Not that Alex would call herself one. She saw heart eyes in other people, when she was out of the line of fire, but never did she receive heart-shaped eyes in turn. Well, that wasn’t true. Anna gave her heart eyes all the time. From the moment the social worker bestowed a bundle of stirring arms and legs into her arms, those green eyes made Alex’s voice go soft and her heart expand in her chest until her ribs ached. The pair of eyes that belonged to her little pea who could do no wrong for as long as she lived.

But Anna was a baby. She would stare lovingly into the face of her mother while leaving a gift in her diaper. Any 'adult' heart eyes didn’t register in whatever brain cell that represented Alex’s gaydar.

With the ambassador’s departure, the monotonous meeting had come to a close. Sighs of relief swept through the room full of agents. J’onn dismissed them at once with a promise to keep them informed of organizational changes.

Alex and Astra were the last to leave. They hung back, exhausting the subject of the ambassador’s message and what it might mean for their work schedules. In Alex’s case, she held seniority amongst the influx of rookies and alien recruits. And she was a mom ruled by the schedule of a newborn, and no one messed with this newborn. No Martian or Kryptonian or $500 mobile could put her to sleep unless it pleased her sensibilities.

Alex didn’t fear any cut to her hours or additional overtime, but Astra might take an issue with a restructuring of her night shift. Not many would think so. Astra was notorious for her secrecy. Not many people at the DEO knew how she spent her time outside of work much less what her hobbies entailed. She had few confidantes with whom she divulged her weekend activities to. Alex counted herself lucky to be accepted into such an exclusive club. It always surprised her what things Astra planned for herself; she could be amazingly unadventurous in her off time. No overnight trips to Europe, no sightseeing in strange, unreachable locations. She didn’t play the heroine of little girl’s dreams, not out of the goodness of her heart (although she would answer a call if pressed upon and complain at length in her lousy lying voice).

So just what would a former soldier and sardonic workaholic do when not punching evil in the throat? Take walks through the dog park. Duh. Smuggle takeout pizza into late night screenings of horror sequels, of course. And what self-respecting engineer of a neural virus wouldn’t YouTube cooking shows with the annoying commentary muted? These activities were done by and large alone. She went solo, never ashamed of making herself content.

“Good for you,” Alex would always say, feeling a stab of jealousy for that empty theatre seat or that sensationally belly-rubbed corgi or that blanket that received the most warmth from the laptop fan. She was pleased that Astra found her own way of fitting into human society. What better way than adopting their habits? Ordinary people might think that superheroes led lives of celebrities. Driving fast cars and getting tickets to the hottest, sold-out Broadway shows, however, was not always on the to-do list.

With all that Astra had seen and done over the course of her tenure as a wanted criminal on two worlds, a monotonous existence on Earth must have felt like a breath of fresh air. She had said as much in the drowsy haze of too much Netflix and Cupcakes (a phrase coined by Kara and fed by Alex’s ability to read a Betty Crocker box).

Alex switched off the lights and followed Astra’s shadow out of the briefing room. The yawning voice ahead of her mumbled about Thursday plans. Alex hummed in acknowledgement. Somehow, they had leapt from one serious subject to light chit chat in seconds. The ease of it made Alex’s eyes flutter in desire for a warm nap.

“… so I’m hoping none of those policies will conflict with my previous engagement.”

“Oh? What previous engagement is that?”

“A party.” When Alex didn’t respond, Astra explained. “A gathering of friends. Food and beverage will be served. Alcohol, I presume, and an excess of glucose.”

“You can’t say candy?”

“Candy.”

Alex smiled and chuckled. Deadpan humor fit Astra in a way no one could replicate. It was her way of being sarcastic without it being at the expense of others. At least, not many others.

Then, with a receding jerk of Alex’s head, the weight of Astra’s plans caught up to her brain. “Wait, you were invited to a Halloween party? By who?”

“Whom,” Astra corrected succinctly, setting off a roll of Alex’s eyes. “I received an invitation from one of my students. They are hosting an event to celebrate the… well, I am not sure what is celebrated other than mass gluttony and the macabre. Most of our self-defense class will be present.“

Alex nodded.

The self-defense class Astra mentioned was held in one of the gyms at Desert Base. It included a mixture of Western and Eastern martial arts, but what made it special was its compliment of Kryptonian combat techniques. Upon her recruitment into the DEO, Astra brought the idea to J’onn who saw it as a means of cooling tensions among his troops. The class’ diversity made it further specialized. Instead of drawing exclusively from a pool of soldiers and field specialists, many others were welcome from all vocations, ranks, and physical health levels. Astra also fine-tuned the lessons to fit the needs of her students with disabilities. And although someone as well sheltered as a receptionist or phlebotomist might not find themselves in need of such skills, J’onn and Astra agreed that all DEO employees deserved the opportunity to be in tip-top shape.

“Oh,” said Alex, fighting the amusement out of her voice, “hanging out with your students sounds like fun.”

“Is that veiled ridicule?”

“No.”

Alex winced inwardly, reminding herself that Astra had friends outside of her and Kara. Sometimes it slipped her mind. A full-time ex-nemesis and part-time awkward alien wasn’t exactly a magnet for social butterflies. In the field, Astra put on dominant airs. Everyone knew the decades of experience this woman had won battles with. She was their verifiable expert on all things alien be it technology, species culture, or language. Whether she was instructing her students or carrying out orders from J’onn, iron strengthened her voice and nerve fueled her punches. Above all others, she knew best her own capabilities and didn’t think twice about reminding people. She was invulnerable.

When off duty, however, that super strong mantle tended to make itself scarce. It was an odd phenomenon. The larger groups from training sessions weren’t a problem. Alex noticed how well Astra hid behind the mask of teacher. At least then she could use her expertise to distract her from her pupils’ opinions and impressions assailing her when she wasn’t paying attention.

Crowds weren’t a problem. Small groups and specialized cliques were. Astra tended to shy away from human contact, limiting herself to observing from a distance or merely nodding her head within a social circle. It only made her look like an overlooked puppy. She may not plaster a sign on her forehead to gain attention, but she certainly wanted to be accepted. It had happened with Kara. Apparently, quizzical face scrunches and the need to belong ran in the family.

Sometimes Alex wondered if Astra still felt distrusted at the DEO. She had to give the general credit, though. In spite of getting the cold shoulder from agents and analysts alike, Astra found a means to build friendships with her colleagues.

A strange sensation warmed her chest. Although she hadn’t found the nerve to admit it to anyone, she was very proud of Astra.

The sound of gurgling water brought Alex out of her thoughts. She stepped out into the hallway where the community water cooler stood against the wall. Astra released the lever as another swollen bubble floated to the top of the jug. She held out the fresh paper cup, having been partnered with Alex long enough to know that mission briefings gave her those dull headaches brought on by dehydration.

“Thanks.” Alex accepted the cup and took a sip. “So that’s what you meant when you told Susan you couldn’t make it to her party?”

“Yes. I have a previous engagement.”

The formality stiffening Astra seemed unnecessary. Alex sighed. After three years post-redemption, Astra still had a lot to learn. Then again, could it just be nervousness? How many parties _had_ Astra been to on Earth? Nervousness in cases such as this usually stemmed from inexperience in social situations. Would Astra have mentioned if someone other than Kara had invited her for coffee or asked her out to a movie or recruited her into a bowling team? Not that Alex would have minded. She didn’t need to have a tracking device on her. They were friends, not _I-need-to-know-who’s-spending-time-with-you-when-I’m-not _friends.

“Alex?”

The cup in Alex’s hand was nearly crushed. “Hm?”

Those steely eyes bore into her. The silence seemed to last more than the five seconds that ticked by. Alex would have called it an uncomfortable five seconds if she hadn’t been preoccupied over what Astra was staring at.

Astra’s brow arched. “I was reminding you that Director Henshaw requests us to be available in the event of a hostile disturbance. It _is_ the night for mischief.”

“Right. I don’t anticipate any major problems, but I’ll keep my cell on me just in case.”

“That would be wise.” When Astra pulled her hands behind her back, the change did not exude battle-hardened confidence. Her eyes dropped to study the intricacies of a solid black floor. “Although, if I had a daughter, I would dislike the likelihood of being away on her first Halloween.”

Alex smiled. For all that battle-hardness, the smallest thing (or person) could melt it down in seconds. But it was more than softness on display. Those downcast eyes were mourning a road not taken. Alex had never heard the full story, but she pieced together a few passing remarks from Kara to know that Astra had lost more than her planet. Opportunities could disappear in the snap of a finger. Alex knew this well and dodged most obstacles by sheer will and stellar character references. She also knew that a majority of single woman aspiring to motherhood were not as lucky.

Despite the sorrow over an escaped future, Alex liked seeing this side of Astra. Loss had a tendency to make people grateful for what they did have.

“You know,” Alex mused, lightening the mood with a crooked grin, “it’s tradition to dress up on Halloween.”

“Yes, I know. I didn’t arrive on Earth yesterday.”

“Just trying to be helpful. So, are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Dressing up for the party?”

“No, I don’t think that would be a very good idea.” Astra bided the seconds by crinkling her mouth and sighing at Alex’s hands around the cup.

Okay. Why was this awkward?

“I… should carry on.” Astra’s meek voice seemed to further baffle her gaze. She pointed a finger in the direction her eyes were burning (figuratively, of course). “There are molten carbonite fuel cells in need of oxidizing.”

Alex tapped the rim of her cup. “Yeah,” she said, throwing a thumb over her shoulder, “I have some results and… that kind of stuff waiting for me in the lab.”

Astra stared a beat before nodding.

Somehow, Alex’s feet had the sense to retreat. “Okay, well, have a good time tomorrow?”

“You as well.”

The smile Alex managed felt taut and forced. Weird. Nothing usually felt weird around Astra unless Astra was being her usual, culturally ignorant self. Which, frankly, was any time that stick wasn’t up General Perfect’s behind. But this felt awkward-weird. And in that moment Astra had been behaving in a manner beyond the usual.

To make things even weirder, Alex felt that the more distance she put between herself and Astra, every step taken in the opposite direction was unbundling her nerves. Typically, it worked in reverse: Alex felt more relaxed around friends and family, even Astra. Not so that day.

Alex’s frown endured as she flew up the stairway, two steps at a time. It remained to be seen just why those nerves had been bundled in the first place.

* * *

The page came at the stroke of 7 o’clock. By that time the snacks were whittled down to the last irredeemable shards of corn chips, but the games were just winding up. Alex had spent most of the night watching Anna make faces at people and was loving every minute of it. Even as the evening approached sundown, it was close to someone’s bedtime, which promised all the pains and joys of washing an infant. Anna, however, was giggling at all the colorfully dressed people. A shampoo was the last thing on her mind. Alex hadn’t the heart to cut short her first Halloween.

But duty called and it had a bruising vibrate setting. Susan, having a superb poker face and being off the clock, arranged a suitable reason to excuse her guest. Alex thanked her host for the save, threw apologies around for having crappy work hours, and passed off bedtime instructions to Eliza. Before heading out the door she kissed her daughter goodbye, lingering on the smooth cheek to promise that it would not be her last.

On Halloween night, the desert outside National City could not have provided a better atmosphere of darkness and near silence. The sky was too crowded with clouds for the stars to light her way. Having parked her car a half mile outside the rendezvous zone, Alex had to jog the rest of the way in the gloom, rifle in tow. It was a miracle that she hadn’t lost her earpiece or tripped into a hole or gotten stung by a scorpion.

When Alex arrived at the site, she took one look at the abandoned shed and bit back a groan. What a cliché. Thankfully, she didn’t have to suffer this alone.

Astra hadn’t moved since Alex came panting in. She stood, statuesque, with a leg up on the crest of her dune outlook. Her eyes scanned the field, astute and ruthless, as if World War III might break out. One would think she groomed every last brain cell to the task, attention spared for nothing and no one else. Unless one truly knew Astra In-Ze.

“Where is Anna?”

“At home with my mom.” Astra’s arched brow prompted Alex to explain. “She invited herself to Susan’s party. She wanted to be on hand in case I got called in to work. I hate it when she’s right.”

Despite the whine in her voice, the admission carried little spite. Eliza was always around when Alex needed an extra pair of hands. Whether called in for a false alarm for colic or the very real threat of uninterrupted crying, her mother seemed to have a solution for every ailment. Alex supposed she should be grateful for the support. She’d been a mother for five whole months and had been confronted by scares and committed oversights that tested her qualifications to call herself one.

A sinking sensation turned Alex’s stomach. This was her daughter’s first Halloween. Instead of spending this time with her, Anna was at home getting smooches and finger squeezes from her grandmother. _And_ selfie photos to mark the special day. Alex swallowed the pumpkin-sized lump in her throat. She would give anything to be with Anna. God, the infant couldn’t yet respond to her own name but Alex felt like this little human was her best friend. It felt like a betrayal to skip out on someone like that on such short notice.

Instead of spoiling her own child and making Anna’s first October 31st a gas, duty called for one bleak night in the desert to ascertain an unidentified hostile presence. No offense to her partner. In fact, Astra understood just how much she didn’t like being called in.

“She knows you were there,” said Astra.

Alex snagged her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded. It shouldn’t sting this much. Should it?

A whistling gust of wind jerked Alex back to their surroundings. After checking that her rifle’s safety was on but within reach, she took a deep breath and scanned the horizon. Dust swirled above the hard-packed earth. What moonlight escaped from behind the clouds became swallowed by the immense shadow cast by the nearby shed. Its dimensions were large enough to house a UH-60 Black Hawk; four blades, tail rotor, and all. No sign of hostiles or friendlies. Not yet.

Her scrutiny rounded back to Astra. From the new angle, she got a better look at the tall, dark, and handsome presence at her side. That was to say, an_ It-might-have-happened-in-a-dream-once_ kind of tall, dark, and handsome.

Suddenly, the sheer lunacy that brought on the thought went _poof_ and became replaced with a spark of astonishment. Tall, Dark, and Handsome stood at their usual military attention, wearing the usual black tactical suit, with the remarkable exception of…

Alex blinked. “What’s on your face?”

“Face paint.” Astra didn’t appear to be self-conscious of the faux whiskers and pink button nose. “It’s not permanent. At least, I don’t think so.”

“Thank god.” Alex had to divert her gaze to the shed and its surrounding flora. She stared at the wilted desert willows with an intensity that might have made them bloom if this was a fairy tale. She scoffed. “You look ridiculous.”

“I could say the same of you.”

Alex’s growl came out as heated as the flush in her cheeks. “I _didn’t_ have time to _change_.”

“At the very least, you could have wrapped yourself in a thicker jacket.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because that florescent orange is bound to expose our location. Normally, I would find hiding in the shadows counterintuitive when our quarry is twelve feet away...” Astra sighed heavily, shaking her head. “But this new profession of mine has taught me patience, and I appreciate the premeditation involved in _some_ of the DEO’s tactics.” She offered Alex a pointed look. “You attract too much attention dressed like that.”

At the moment, Alex wanted whatever pill Astra was taking lately to prevent excessive self-mortification. “_I’m_ not the one wearing whiskers.”

The next minute passed in awkward silence. A series of groans and creaks came from the shed. Its shifting foundations boded as many terrors as found in a horror flick. Finally, Astra salvaged the moment by broaching the only prudent topic.

“What is Anna’s costume?”

“She’s a pea in a pod. A peapod.”

A breeze whistled through the branches. Despite the late October chill in the air, there was a sudden shift in temperature that made Alex’s costume feel like ten Snuggies. She smiled to herself. Her baby’s first Halloween had been both a struggle and a blessing. The back strain alone was proof of how arduous the task of dressing a five-month-old. But after all that time spent bent over that wiggling heathen, Alex received a beautiful, smug smile for her trouble.

When they had arrived at Susan’s apartment earlier that day, Alex denied the precious peapod to any arms other than her own. No doubt, Anna always drew a crowd, but being bundled up in felt green made her a verifiable magnet. All Alex wanted to do was hold her close and _eat… her… up_.

“I would like to see that.”

Alex turned to see the general scoping the battlefield. It had been said with matter-of-fact affection, but paired with that military persona… She wasn’t sure how to take it.

Alex lowered her rifle a few millimeters. “You would?”

It could have been the adrenaline before combat. Or it might just be Astra being Astra: dark, rough shell and a gooey inside. And, sometimes, deeper in lay a heart harder than necessary.

“I’d break a femur for some Ferrero Rocher right now.”

Astra broke from her sightline and turned around to see if she had heard right. “I beg your pardon?”

“You know…”

The explanation hung on the tip of her tongue but it had to wait. A low rumble approached from the east. Alex turned her head to spot the dust trail rising from the nearby highway. Subsequently, a crackle of static came through their communication devices. Director Henshaw’s voice filtered in, deep and professional.

_“Point, this is Greyhound. ETA to your location, four minutes.”_

Astra touched her earpiece. “Copy. ETA four minutes” She raised a brow at Alex. “No, I don’t know.”

“Ferrero, the chocolate. It’s a small hazelnut surrounded by smooth nougat and encased in a chocolate shell.” Alex shrugged despite the gesture being hidden under a layer of orange polyester.

A pregnant pause followed wherein Astra just stared. Eventually, she put to words what her facial expression failed to convey. “Perhaps Director Henshaw should have extended your maternity leave. You seem…” her piercing gaze measured Alex from green-stemmed hood to boots, “out of sorts.”

“Shut up. You’ve got whiskers and it’s really throwing me off.

“And you don’t expect me to be thrown off by the fact that my partner is dressed like a turnip?”

“A _carrot_, Astra.”

“You could have donned a bulletproof vest underneath that ghastly ensemble. The director requested that we be prepared to be summoned tonight.”

It lacked any malice whatsoever, yet the logic rankled Alex. “If you’re so dedicated to your work then why do you still have a kitten nose?”

“A _cat’s_ nose.” Astra scrunched the aforementioned nose indignantly. “With my superior age and ability, why by Rao’s light would I take on the appearance of such a fragile, oafish creature?” She squared her shoulders as if to ward off the contagious mention of ‘kitten.’ “And I did not have the time to remove my makeup.”

Alex turned back to the shed, wicked grin in place. “Whatever you say, kitten.”

“Are you sassing me, Agent Danvers?”

_“Do you two want to wrap this up? You’re scaring off the ghouls.”_

Alex gave halfway between a sigh and a cringe. Unfortunately, their earpieces did not have a privacy setting. She touched the device wedged in her ear and replied, “It’s not an actual haunted shed, Winn.”

_“Then why are my density scans picking up a growing heat signature headed in your direction?”_

Before either of them had a chance of answering, a subhuman voice pulsed in Alex’s ears. The language was incomprehensible but… tender, tempting like a forbidden brush against the skin.

“_Sethhhaaraaa… Whisssfaaayth_…”

She hung on every syllable until it slithered off into eerie silence. From her periphery, she spotted the outline of Astra’s figure in the darkness: stiff body language signaling deadly focus. In the hush, Alex’s eyes swept the desert plateau with its swaying brush thickets. An empty can of beer scuttling across the ground until a boulder stopped its inelegant dance.

The call of moments ago resonated in Alex’s ears, echoing endlessly through her shivering spine. Her finger shuddered off the trigger for a moment. She felt a droplet of perspiration fall free from the pad of her index before gingerly pressing back down in anticipation. But in anticipation for what? Winn wasn’t saying anything and neither was her backup. 

Maybe Winn was right. Maybe the shed _was_ haunted.

Alex released a breath that steamed in the air. She shook her head at a loss for how to rationalize this particular level of absurdity. “Was that – ?”

A sweeping gust struck them like cold sheet metal. That, combined with the hard tug on her costume cut off her question. Astra hadn’t given fair warning in her effort to shield her partner. Alex lost her balance and went down. So much for having each other’s backs.

Like a stiff board, Alex smacked to the ground. The force of her fall kicked up a cloud of gritty dirt. She coughed on the stuff, ears ringing and eyes watering and not paying any attention to the hurricane of activity. Whatever blip on Winn’s radar must have materialized because she was hearing the telltale sound of fists against flesh. The sound of Astra giving the ghouls a thrashing no doubt. She could see very little from her position apart from the moonlit glow behind cloud cover.

A tremor of eagerness swept through Alex. She didn’t like being left out of a fight, especially when lying helpless on the ground. Then again, being in a cumbersome full-body suit made getting to her feet a bit problematic.

Alex took a deep breath for the transfer of energy needed. Using her shoulders, she leaned to one side as far as her costume would allow and then swung to her other shoulder. The momentum did little to pull her upright or even onto her side. Like a stiff, deformed carrot, she rolled back to the ground. The soil felt hard against her shoulder blades. Alex huffed.

Astra must have noticed the struggle. “Stay down! I will draw them off.”

“Wait! Just wait for me!”

Alex scowled at her poor choice of wardrobe. “I feel like I’m fighting with myself.” She ground her teeth in preparation for her next escape plan. With the sound of Astra kicking ass in the background, Alex pulled her knees towards her chin, kicked out, and tucked in.

“Ack!” She flopped down, face first, in a tuft of dusty grass. “_Astra_…”

* * *

The assignment had been moderately successful. Through her usual practiced ease, Astra fended off the apparitions (which seemed to go corporal whenever they felt like it). She didn’t seem to need any assistance or weapon of any kind. Just strength, speed, and fists. No one knew if the hostiles (code named ghouls) had unkind motives or they were simply protecting their territory. And there would be no questioning them – the ghouls had scattered at the beams of Hummer headlights, not to be seen or picked up on scanner for miles. They left no trace behind, not in the scuffle and nothing inside their empty shed abode.

Alex couldn’t verify much of anything beyond what she heard. She had been left to roll around on the ground while her partner took care of business. And that was just the beginning. Mockery came in the form of stifled snorts and shaking shoulders. Alex rolled her eyes in the hood of her carrot suit. Sometimes these tactical agents held too high of an opinion of themselves. They probably had scores of late-night awkwardness they wouldn’t like made public and regrettable decisions made under the influence of too much alcohol.

Alex just happened to be that one agent who showed up to a mission in full vegetable regalia.

The opportunity to bitch out Astra for not including her in the fight came and went. Alex was too tired to make a fuss and her tumble in the desert left dust in places that shouldn’t have dust. They didn’t talk when they returned to base and hit the showers. They went about their post-assignment routines as usual: cleaning rifles and polishing knives, throwing a fresh towel in the direction of one who needed it, passing along a spare deodorant when they knew the other always forgot theirs, and sighing on cue when the vending machine gave its satisfactory clank as a protein bar fell from its shelf. They shared more in these moments after battle than Alex probably realized. It would never occur to her, for instance, that last week she had slipped on one of Astra’s socks. It was black and clean and lying on the bench next to her, so it didn’t seem out of the realm of possibility that it belonged in Alex’s repertoire.

With the sand washed away and a belly full of granola and dried fruit in her, Alex made her way home. Astra sat in the passenger seat, head lying back on the headrest as she watched the streetlights strobe past. Alex didn’t have the heart to hold onto her anger. It was no use being bitter when Astra had only acted in her protective nature.

All was forgotten. But not everything exactly… She still had to fulfill a wish made on a sand dune hours earlier.

The apartment door unlocked with a twist of her key. She didn’t pay any attention to how close of a shadow Astra cast on her because her stomach was full of butterflies. An eagerness pulled her past the threshold at the sight of her home. The kitchen was alive with a warm glow from the stove light.

“Are those chocolate chip?”

Alex grinned. Leave it to a Kryptonian to be the first to detect food. Sure enough, the scent of cookies wafted by. Her stomach growled despite the handful of protein bars she’d wolfed down earlier.

Before Alex could reply to Astra’s suspicion, Eliza came padding out of the nursery. She came bearing a little bundle that gave the tiniest breaths.

Alex shook her head. “I’d ask you why you’re making cookies at 10 o’clock at night but I’m way more concerned with this one.” The sight of a green costume in Eliza’s arms caused her to knit her brow. “Has she been sleeping in that thing? You were supposed to give her a bath and put her down in clean pj’s.”

“She didn’t want to get out of it.” Eliza shrugged. “I tried.”

“You’re a grandmother,” Alex said, snorting. “You let her have her way on purpose.”

“And I loved every minute of it.” Eliza sighed in warmth. She held the sleepy-eyed child close to her face before giving it a kiss. “But I’m worn out. Now that you’re here, you can get her into her pajamas.”

“Aw, thanks. You’re a big help.”

They chuckled, accustomed to the jabs that didn’t sting anymore, not since Anna came into their lives and brought them closer.

With a smile that understood a mother’s ache, Eliza leveraged Anna into waiting arms.

“There’s my girl.” Alex hummed a soothing note against a downy-smooth cheek. “Miss me?”

The mass of green fabric wiggled against her in reply. Alex smiled. Everything about Anna, from the smell of talcum powder to her eager breathes brought cheer to the world around her. More importantly, everything that made Anna happy made Alex happy. The mood was contagious.

Pressing a kiss to Anna’s cheek, Alex brought her against her chest in an embrace. The sleepy, round face lay against her shoulder as she looked up from within green folds. Pea in a pod. Alex chuckled to herself. Best parental move yet.

Finally, Eliza departed in a flurry of kisses and hugs and promises to call despite Alex’s assurance that they wouldn’t overburn the cookies. Astra hung back, smiling kindly at Alex’s mother and biding her farewell. This was one of those moments Astra’s shyness reared its pink button nose. It didn’t happen often, but when it did Alex’s face burned incomprehensibly hot.

Anna wiggled some more, incited to panting breaths by the squeezes. Alex made out the eyelashes fluttering in the gentle light of the kitchen. She looked excited, but there was no guarantee that Alex’s arrival was the cause. It could have been anything from the smell of baked goods to the prevailing feel of felt fabric against her skin. It was a wonder how she woke up so alert on a day of young adult revelry and sugar-induced comas.

“She has no idea what is going on, does she?”

The ache in Alex’s cheeks intensified. “No idea,” she said, chuckling. “I’ve already taken up half my phone’s storage snapping photos of her. My little girl’s first Halloween,” she cooed in proximity to a soft neck.

The lacking reply spurred Alex to look up. Astra’s hands hung loosely at her sides. She looked on Anna, wearing a fond expression. Her eyes drooped as if she were falling under the spell of a visual work of art (_Baby Gnawing on Fingers)_. The corner of her mouth crinkled into a faint curiosity. She was softer than Alex had ever seen her. Softer, even, without the painted-on cat nose and whiskers.

“Do you want to…?” Alex swayed the live parcel of cuteness in her arms, beginning a handoff that would entrust Anna to the seemingly indifferent person in the room.

This wasn’t the first time. Astra demonstrated so by the expert coordination of arms and hands which culminated in a safely cradled Anna.

Alex bided her time, disciplining her grin into a subdued line. The silent meet and greet on display was like watching two predators assessing one another for weaknesses. At five-months-old, every face was a new face. Everyone was a stranger including Astra whom Anna saw during Kara’s Disney Movie Fridays. And no one skipped out on Disney Movie Friday. Even though Anna was hardly old enough to chomp on a pizza popper or comprehend music lyrics, Kara took her auntie duties _very_ seriously.

Green eyes stared, dubious but attentive. Anna was nothing if not persistent. She could very well wait out a stakeout op. She seemed quite adamant on figuring this out. Alex frowned a bit, torn between the both of them. Anna lay in Astra’s arms, mouth hanging open, listless, as if she was waiting for Astra to procure a toy, an amusement, anything more animated than that soldierly façade gaping back. For the briefest second, Alex imagined what it would look like to see a ten-year-old Anna matching wits with the general. The thought made her heart swell with pride.

The silence must have suspended Astra’s courage. “You remember me, don’t you?” she asked, low enough to commune with a grasshopper. She didn’t sway or coddle the girl. Instead, she ducked her head so her words could be understood. “Disney movie nights at Kara’s? I’m the one who dwells on the redemptive qualities of female villains.” Anna was neither amused nor sold. Instead of folding in on herself, Astra tried again, eyebrows rising to a serious contention. “No one sticks to their principles like Maleficent.”

The name must have triggered recollection in Anna because she cooed strings of “oooo!” and “eeeh.” The baby fat in her cheeks rounded around the smile. The dimples in her chin were new. Alex bit her lip to keep from sobbing all over herself in elation. The swinging arms of her baby girl were celebration enough for the both of them.

The vigorous Anna caused Astra a spark of apprehension, but she had quick reflexes and recovered soon enough. After finally adjusting her hold, she took her chance, caught the swinging hand, and gave the tiny fingers a squeeze that made Alex so damn jealous.

“Ah, see?” Astra smiled down at Anna. “I knew you were a bright one. You catch on quick.”

“Don’t you just want to put her in a pot and eat her up like a stew?”

Astra met her with a scandalous glare that could have set a scarecrow on fire. “You humans are barbaric.” The expression lasted long enough for a smile to crack open at the corner of her mouth. A kicking motion from the pointed end of the pod attracted Astra’s attention. Her grin grew wider and her eyes sparkled anew. “Well, if she was a stew, she would be a sweet stew.”

“Yeah, I call her my sweet pea.”

“I know.”

Alex swallowed for no other reason than to remind herself that she could. _I know._ The sound called up obscure sensations that felt similar to a dollop of marshmallow fluff on her nose, the feel of a rose petal against her cheek, morning dew on her eyelashes… Alex’s mind spun of its own accord, generating threads so fast she couldn’t keep up with them.

Why had Astra spoken so softly?

Why was she looking at Anna that way? Like she was distracted. Compelled to look nowhere else.

Why…

Alex shook her head before the thoughts amassed into one giant knot of assumptions.

“Yeah,” she said. Unnecessary but better than hearing the clockwork turns of her anxious mind.

Anyone with a heart would accept Anna, fussing and all. But she was Alex’s. And yet… there were moments she wondered if their home was enough – would be enough – to keep Anna happy.

To think she wasn’t good enough to provide for her daughter, the doubt was nauseating. Alex felt it especially during the holidays. While she and Anna would always have their extended family and all the traditions that accompanied it, they always ended up at their apartment. She and Anna in their lovingly made home, no one else to share the post-celebrations with. No one else to share their morning meeting of bad bed hair, no sides to take when arguing about eating candy after dark, no additional help rubbing toothpaste off of a chin, sharing a second viewing of _White Christmas_, or implementing a ‘no bursting into Mommy’s bedroom’ rule on Valentine’s Day night. They were little things Alex wondered if she and Anna were missing out on.

But that wasn’t the point. Alex knew what future she had chosen for herself and her daughter. Becoming a single mom had changed her in unforeseeable ways, some of which she had yet to come to grips with (Anna being barely one year, and so many developmental stages to come). Frankly, being a parent had taught her to accept some of the doubts. No parent would ever feel financially secure enough and absolutely selfless to provide the perfect life for their children. Parents ‘got by.’ Sometimes by the skin of their teeth. Imperfection was part of the job. The books never mention that.

One lesson became clear from the very beginning. Whatever curve balls life threw at her, be it work or her own personal demons, she didn’t have to soldier on alone. She had friends, a support system she could count on. And family that meant more than blood ties.

A watery giggle brought Alex out of her thoughts. The round peas fixed to Anna’s front jiggled to the sound.

Anna then gave her a wide, toothless yawn.

The gasp and subsequent shudder of exhaustion leaving Anna’s body called the butterflies back to Alex’s stomach. Her heart fluttered madly with joy at this sweet pea, this beacon of light within her flawed existence. The preciousness on display nearly knocked her out. Those ghouls and their ellusive powers had nothing on Anna Danvers.

Astra adjusted a wrinkle in the costume and twiddled her finger to Anna’s chest. “I think it’s time for bed, young lady.”

To which Anna replied with a rebellious wiggle. “Aaaah.”

_Yes_, thought Alex as she watched Astra watching Anna. _I have family._


End file.
